Retired Cork-based garda Flan Wiley remembered as an 'out and out gentleman' following his death 

The death has occurred of retired garda Flan Wiley, an adopted northsider who has been described as “the best-known policeman in Cork city”.

Mr Wiley passed away in the early hours of the morning in the Bon Secours Hospital in Cork. He was 85.

A detective garda serving for more than 30 years on Cork’s northside, Mr Wiley worked initially in Shandon St Garda Station, before it was absorbed into Gurranabraher.

He was fondly remembered by his friend Ned Kirby, retired garda and All-Ireland footballing star, who worked with Mr Wiley as a juvenile liaison officer.

Mr Kirby described Mr Wiley as “the best-known policeman in Cork city over 30 years or more”.

“Flan was a legend in his time. He was a mighty man, he knew everyone and everyone knew him, and before ever the words ‘community guard’ were invented, Flan was a community guard.

“Although he was a native of Bodyke in Co Clare, he was a Norrie by the time he finished up, and he was proud of that, he had the people behind him and he was very even-handed with everyone he met. He was well respected,” Mr Kirby said.

“He was well-in with the local people because he’d go road bowling with them, he was a member of Glen Rovers hurling club, playing cards there, and he used to play cards in other places too, he was a frequent visitor to Maura Mannix’s pub in Killeens - he introduced me to that establishment when I came, and everybody there knew him, and in my book that was the basis of a good policeman.” 

Mr Wiley was the leader of a very good group of gardaí on the northside, Mr Kirby said, and he had a reputation as a formidable but very fair detective.

“He would have been very respected on the northside, and he would know everyone and all belonging to them,” Mr Kirby said.

“He was a mighty man and we’d be a lot better off if we had more like him nowadays.” 

Chief Superintendent Tom Myers, who is in charge of policing in the Cork city garda division, described Mr Wiley as “an outstanding detective, but much more than that”.

“He could enforce the law but he also showed empathy, not just to victims of crime, but to the families of those who found themselves before the courts,” he said.

Chief Supt Myers said Mr Wiley was "part of the culture of the northside" saying he believed he was "an institution, and unique".

“Flan set the bar for the rest of us to follow," he added. 

Retired chief superintendent Con Cadogan remembered Mr Wiley as “a great policeman, probably ahead of his time, he was a very kind man who had a great way with people”.

“He would hear everything that was going on in the community, no matter what crime was going on, Flan would solve it, basically because of his kindness, people trusted him, and they would tell him stuff, and he was very confidential,” he said.

“He was in the organisation in very challenging times, in the 60s and the 70s, when you had subversion, you had quite a lot of robberies.

“Flan would have been investigating quite a lot of serious crimes at that time, it was a very challenging time in the country, you had a lot of turmoil.” 

Mr Cadogan recalled a mentor who gave a good steer a lot of young gardaí.

“Flan taught a lot of us when we were young guards in the 80s and we learned a lot from Flan.

“He was very good to us young gardaí.

“In later years he went to work with the Garda Credit Union, and he was always very helpful to young gardaí, who’d be maybe trying to get a loan for a car.

“He was an out and out gentleman and he will be missed,” he remembered.

Former lord mayor of Cork Fianna Fáil councillor Tony Fitzgerald recalled “a dedicated and compassionate member of An Garda Síochána who was known to everyone on the northside”.

“Flan was a man who would sit down and talk through problems, and listen to people’s stories. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the people of the northside, and he certainly was one of the most professional members of An Garda Síochána to serve in Cork,” Mr Fitzgerald said.

“My deepest sympathy to his family and friends, particularly the retired members of An Garda Síochána, to whom he’ll be a great loss.” 

Mr Wiley was predeceased by his wife Anne (Née O’Halloran), who passed away in 2022, and he is survived his sons Dave, Darragh, and Damien, and his sister Emer (Sutton), his grandchildren Conor, Donncha, Ben, Joe, Meabh, Orann, Robin, his extended family, neighbours, and a wide circle of friends.

Reposing in Keohane’s Funeral Home, Knights Hill, Mayfield (T23 D778) from 5pm to 6pm on Monday, May 12, with prayers at 5.45pm.

Reception into St Joseph’s Mayfield on Tuesday, May 13 for Requiem Mass at 11am, followed by cremation service at The Island Crematorium, Ringaskiddy at 1pm.